For your own happiness

For your own happiness
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Brothers and sisters, are you happy now? Perhaps, you can answer in four ways : ① Yes, I am very happy. ② Yes, I am generally happy. ③ No, I am very unhappy. ④ No, I am generally unhappy.
Which one is your answer? I strongly want you to have first answer : "I am very happy." All of the peoples seek for their happiness. Even extremely wicked people want their (family's) happiness than unhappiness. But happiness does not come to us by chance like destiny.
Happiness is the fruit we can reap by sowing the seed of happiness and growing it like orchardist. Today, Let's look at the Bible about happiness with expecting to reap the fruit of happiness.
1. What makes you happy?
When are you happy? I think children's happiness is playing because they forget everything when they play. And students' happiness is maybe good mark in their school or good friendship because some students become depressed when they don't have good mark in school or when the friendship is broken.
And what is the young men's happiness? I imagine they are happy when they have good girl friend or nice boy friend. If they marry the nice guy or girl, they will be very happy. Bible tells us, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."(Proverbs 18:22)
And adults' happiness is very simple. Their happiness is usually swayed by money or spouse or children. But King Solomon who had wealth, honor and prosperity confessed, "Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!"(Ecclesiastes 1:2)
That means good environment and good outward conditions are the plus factors of happiness, not the happiness itself. This means human being can not get happiness with only physical and material satisfaction but also with mental and spiritual satisfaction.
2. Happy person and unhappy person
The first man Adam was created by God as a happy being. He had a perfect health so that he could live forever and ever. And he lived with his beautiful wife Eve who is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. And Adam lived in the Garden of Eden that was the garden of joy and happiness, where was full of all kinds of fruits that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. And he had a good fellowship with God the Creator.
But after he deserted the command of God, "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."(Genesis 2:17) And after he fell into the temptation of Satan, he was expelled out of the Garden of Eden, and he became a unhappy man, feeling the pains by thorns and thistles.
Who can rescue us from the marsh of unhappiness? Some great politicians, religious leaders, and philosophers shouted "I will give you happiness." But they have never brought us true happiness. Then where is on the earth happiness? Where can we get happiness from or with?
Let's see the woman standing by the well of Samaria Sychar. She thought she was not happy. So she sought for happiness. She changed her husband six times to get happiness, but she was still thirsty for happiness. So she came to the well to appease her thirst. But there was no bucket to draw the water of happiness. She sighed and sighed.
At that moment Jesus came to her and said, "Will you give me a drink?" She said, "How can you ask me a drink? You Jewish hate us Samaritans. And I have nothing to draw the water of happiness." Then Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst."(John 4:14)
Brothers and sisters, Jesus wants to give us the water of happiness. If we drink the water Jesus gives us, we will never thirst, and we will be happy. So Bible says, "Ask, seek and knock! God will give you good gifts."(Matthew 7:11) The good gift means the Holy Spirit,(Luke 11:13) which is the water of eternal life(happiness)(John 4:14) Our God is good God, He wants to give us good gifts that is happiness.
God called the unhappy Abraham who had no child, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you ; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing."(Genesis 12:12) As his promise, God made Abraham the ancestor of Jesus and God made Abraham happy.
Let's see the fisherman Peter. He felt unhappy because he caught nothing even if worked hard all night. His business was terribly bad. And his mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. He became frustrated. He sighed in unhappiness.
At that moment Jesus came and said to him, "Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch."(Luke 5:4) When Peter had done so, he caught a large number of fish. His business became good at once. And Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. Jesus made Peter happy. So with a great joy Peter followed Jesus.
Let me tell you my story. After I was discharged from military service, I entered a company, but it was not interesting to me. So I quit the job, and I went to prayer mountain. I prayed, "Lord, make me the president of Korea. I promise I'll do a great work for you."
Then God gave me the answer and he made me hear the voice of God. And he made me a servant of God instead of the president of Korea. Hallelujah! Which one do you think is better between the servant of God and the president of Korea ? Honestly speaking I prefer the servant of God much more to the president of Korea. I am very happy now, for I am a pastor.
3. God wants us to be happy
God says, "Dear, friend, I want you to enjoy good healthand that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."(3 John 1:2) Therefore God sent his only Son Jesus to us. Jesus has come to the unhappy men and women to make them happy.
Jesus met the sick, prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners. He healed them and made them happy. And Jesus died on the cross for your happiness and for my happiness. And he sent his Spirit for your happiness and for my happiness.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, take hold of the happiness Jesus has given to you through the Holy Spirit. Live by the Holy Spirit. Don't follow the desires of the sinful nature which lead us to unhappiness. Let's throw away the words(habits, thoughts) of unhappiness.
How can you be happy if you have hatred, grudge, complaint, anxiety? So I ask you to drive out all you anxiety, hatred, grudge and complaint. Then use the positive, active and hopeful words which the Holy Spirit gives us to make us happy.
No matter how terrible your situation is, don't forget to give thanks to the Lord. And be joyful, be happy, remembering this scripture, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."(Romans 8:28)
Brothers and sisters, this very day, just at this time, right here change the unhappy factors into happiness. And just now ask, seek and knock for your own happiness. Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and for forceful men lay hold of it."(Matthew 11:12)
"The kingdom of God is within you now."(Luke 17:21) We have been already changed into the happy beings in Jesus." Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!"(2 Corinthians 5:17)
Brothers and sisters, don't be deprived of your happiness but take hold of the faith, hope, love, joy, peace and happiness which God has given to you. And be happiest man and woman in the world. Then help the unhappy person to be happy! Amen!